


The Opposite Of Abundance

by Perfica



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: 100-1000 Words, Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-06-09
Updated: 2006-06-09
Packaged: 2017-10-05 19:39:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Perfica/pseuds/Perfica
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Snape was a young boy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Opposite Of Abundance

In a large old box, in the very back corner of their dingy attic, Eileen Prince kept all her very best treasures.

A crystal punch bowl that she had won in a raffle, too pristine to use in her everyday life.

A set of sterling silver cake forks, unused, that she'd bought in a second-hand store.

Yards and yards of material, all colours, all fabrics, just waiting to be made into pretty dresses.

When he was very young and his mother was gone (when she'd left, died, gone away), Severus Snape would creep up the stairs, placing his feet carefully so the rough wooden floorboards wouldn't creak, wouldn't wake his father down below. He would sit in front of the box, delicately removing her secrets, lightly touching her forgotten riches, an abundance of bitter-sweet 'could have been's' overflowing in his lap.

Swamped in satin, swathed in blue velvet, he wondered what his life could have been like if she'd stayed, and packed up his expectations when he packed up the box.

It was better if he didn't wonder.


End file.
